Cybernetics and Cripples
by ArtisticGallifreyan
Summary: I've been running all my life. I can't age. I can't fit in and every so often I'll move from job to job. And now, I'm working under a man that could possibly see right through me. I'm Jace Harridan, a 29th century advanced human, and I'm always running...
1. Day One

_**Chapter One: Day One.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do NOT own House MD, nor do I own any of the characters in this show. I love the show, but I could never in good conscious claim to steal any of the characters that the producers work so hard to represent. Please, just enjoy this story, and please review!!**_

Reviews mean more chapters!

_Day one, and I'm already self-loathing myself. It's just a job. _

_  
A job. Nothing more than a stupid job that I'll no doubt stick to for a year or two, and depart before they find me._

Leave before they realize who and what I truthfully am.

But enough! Time to focus on the positives, and benefit from what little time I have in this job; I mean, a year or two years has always been the standard before somebody gets doubtful of me. It always is, and always will be. I need to up my game; blend in and make this work.

"Hello?"__

But working under one of the most skilled medical diagnosticians in the country won't be easy...

"Excuse me?"

_  
He could look right through me._

"I said HELLO."

_  
Or look beyond my secrets.  
We'll wait and -_

"Excuse me?! Doctor Harridan?"

_Train of thought; taken off the rails by a voice yearning to grasp my attention. Just pay attention, that was my job, wasn't it?_

"Oh, I'm sorry!" A gentle blush flared up on the cheeks of Jace Harridan, the newest of the flock that House had hired. Granted, nobody had expected House to simply go and hire a Cardiologist, but he _did_, much to Cuddy's disapproval. Three had been the limit, although House never stuck to limits. Instead, he rather teetered over the edge like a silly but brave child, seeing how close he could get to the edge without chickening out. House was a child in his own mind, but a lost one.

"It's alright, I understand. First day; everyone gets the nerves, especially when they know they're going to be working under 'you know who'." The woman outfitted in professional and flattering attire extending her hand in a friendly greeting, which Jace promptly grabbed lightly and shook with a smile.

"I didn't know we were discussing Harry Potter." She chuckled. She couldn't help it; after the first she had become an avid reader of the series, and the seventh book was _just _around the corner. "Although, I suppose you could compare House to the likes of Voldemort. The reputation that precedes him generally gives him a personality that reflects the dark wizard spot on. Evil schemes, evil plans, but brilliant nonetheless." A stunted but sly grin, a trait of Jace who never appeared to be too happy, too sad or too angry; on the contrary, she had always stuck to the middle ground of the emotional war front.

"Never heard anybody who had referred to House as the dark lord of magic, but I wouldn't repeat that to his face."

_Did I just mess up...On my first day?_

_I couldn't...Could I?_

"Why? He'd knock my block off?"

Jace shuffled on the spot in an awkward manner, her hands reaching down into the pockets of her white coat that covered her work apparel, hoping she hadn't already thrown off her guard by making an inappropriate joke to the Hospital Administrator and Dean of Medicine.

"No, you'd be giving him what he wants. A name to go along with his reputation, and besides, the last thing House needs to hear is him being referenced as the Dark Lord of Medicine." The woman laughed, a welcoming smile curling on her thin lips. "_Oh_ and where are my manners. I'm Lisa Cuddy, Hospital Administrator and Dean of Medicine. I'm also the one that _tries _to keep House in line, and anything he does or will do that you think is against hospital protocol you come to me. Got that?"

_So he is as bad as they say he is.  
Interesting._

"Got that _sound _and crystal clear; I think I'm going to enjoy this job." Jace pursued a smile with her lips, but her last comment received a cocked eyebrow from the Dean of Medicine, who appeared to be a little taken off guard by the comment.

"We'll see how it pans out. But it's a pleasure to meet you. I'd better go meet my boss, and again; thanks for the heads up on House."

Cuddy picked up a clipboard and nodded. "And remember; anything wrong. You know where to find me."

And with that, a rhythmic tap echoed further down the corridor as Cuddy disappeared around a corner with a clipboard lodged under one arm, leaving Jace standing there a little anxious for meeting her boss in _person._ Needless to say, her interview had been a little non-existent. All she had done was post out a resume to Princeton Plainsboro as a Cardiologist that would work a casual shift; nothing too fancy but nothing that would get her in the spotlight if anything were to go wrong. Instead, the head of the Diagnostic Department himself had simply phoned her up saying that she was going to be working under his ruling, and work alongside the team he had hired previously before.

_Maybe he did see through me. _

_He hasn't met me, but perhaps I left out something in my resume. Or put something in that grasped his attention._

_  
It wasn't even destined for his department...So why did he happen to pick it up and simply hire me?_

_The House I've heard of doesn't just do that. Not without a hidden agenda behind his lack of reasoning._

But I need the work. I need to earn a living.  
Stay here for a few years.  
Stick to the shadows.  
And when the time comes, I'll move on before they catch on to who and what I am.

No Jace. No.  
You're being paranoid.  
Nobody will find out.  
NOBODY.

_My secret is safe within me. Just have to remember my rules.  
Don't attract attention to yourself.  
Try to stick to yourself, but don't be anti-social.  
No relationships. None; too risky._

_And avoid ending up in the hospital as a patient. Because once I go in there, I won't come out._

_Oh shit. I'd better get up there..._

And off she ran; hotfooting it down through the clinic, and up as many flights of stairs as she could possibly run. She hated elevators; always had always would, after all she enjoyed the exercise and the feeling of her heart pounding away at her chest while she forced her body to work that little bit harder.

Shoving open the door on the stairwell to the floor she was after, she couldn't help think about her secret in question. The major covertly hidden truth that she was burying in hopes that nobody would 

find it – But it was a part of her, and ignoring it wasn't an option. She was what and who she was.

And it was impossible to escape.

Jace could practically taste, smell and touch the memories that reflected her past, which ironically was in the future. Over 800 years in the future to be exact, dwelling in the 29th century which was her true origin, her place of birth. She hadn't initially planned on travelling back in time, and basking in the first-hand histories of Earth; but it was more or less an accident. Long story short, time ship sprung a leak while she was grabbing a few souvenirs' in a shop, and moments later the crystal-line matrix had destabilized. So when she arrived back to the ship an hour later, the vessel was completely internally destroyed. The core was shot, and in this century it was irreplaceable. She could live inside it (hidden and parked in a secluded spot in the dense areas of the parkland – Where nobody bothered to go), yet that wasn't the reason why she was so scared of being discovered.

Although human biology hadn't evolved that much by natural means by the 29th century, technology _had_ which led the great bio-technological revolution in the 25th century. Humans began to grow tired of waiting for evolution to take its turn, so they chose to do it for themselves through the means of new and exciting methods of genetic therapy and advancements that spurred the race into an evolution of their own. By the 29th, humans were genetically superior to their predecessors in all measures and means.

Cybernetic implants, an indestructible immune system and bones lined with a layer of a soft but indestructible bio-compatible metal were just some of the _small _things that humans did to themselves. Jace held those components, along with a few other perks. An implant in the core of her brain made knowledge recollection instant and easily accessible, with every memory recorded on her brain as easily as a file would be saved and opened on a computer. Hence, the reason why she had forged her medical degree on cardiology. She knew _everything _on cardiology, but she just wasn't qualified. Yet she knew everything on the _perfect means_ of forgery, so her job on the false degree was 99.9 flawless.

Every single one of her organs were enhanced, with a lab-grown genetically advanced heart beating away in her chest alongside her _real _one, enabling her hearts to provide more blood flow to her entire body. Her lungs had the soft bio-metal on the outer layers, preventing the lungs from being punctured by an external force (such as a knife), and her blood was free from any and every impurity.

Her eyes were cybernetic, enabling her to scan and gather data such as the levels of the compounds in the air, and switch to heat settings; enabling her to read the heat readings off any wall, human being or animal. X-ray vision was included, but wasn't one of her favourites in all honesty.

Her left arm was entirely cybernetic, having been cut off in a little brawl she had, but it looked human (roughly on the inside and perfectly on the exterior). Only thing that stood out was the advanced wiring and circuitry that replaced the reinforced veins and arteries that she had pumping blood through her body.

In other words and to sum it all up: She was bad-ass. Advanced strength, speed, agility, and she could jump like you wouldn't believe. Her senses such as taste, sight (obviously), hearing, smell and touch were amplified tenfold, so yeah. She had _ALOT _to hide.

All it would take to get noticed would be a blood test, revealing her unique and pure blood; the various cybernetic implants attached to each organ, a scan of her cybernetic arm or her fear of the MRI machine. An x-ray would simply reveal her bones as metal, and her two hearts... Well, you'd just have to listen to her pulse and there you'd have it.

But on the outside, she was just a normal looking human being. Blue eyes, pale skin from a lack of a decent amount of sunlight, and jet-black hair that was tied back neatly in a pony tail. At 28 years old, she seemed like a doctor that was journeying into the peak of her career.

But her image was just a lie...

_An advanced 29__th__ century human being._

_I can't age._

_I can't find love._

_I can't stay in one place for two long._

_And I can't go home._

God help me.

But she had other things to deal with right now. Like her job for example.

Her finger rested on the handle, and she pushed open the door in a swift movement.

"I'm sorry...I'm late!"

(DONE! Next chapter...How will House react when he sees his new 'cardiologist'? And will he see through her?)  
__


	2. The Bet is on

The arrival of the new member sparked interest from the three ducklings, who each raised a head and turned their attention to the young woman, all cocking up an eyebrow and expecting an answer from House as they turned back to face him.

"Oh sorry...I forgot to tell my hookers to go to my _house._ Not to come to _House. _I can see where she mixed it up there..." House couldn't help it, it was early in the morning and he was overdue for a snide and sexist remark. "Oh wait. My mistake...I'm guessing you're the Cardiologist that Cuddy hired against my will?"

"Well, yeah. But-"

"I'm guessing she ran over her rules, but not mine. Putting it shortly, I have my own means of working things. I tell you to do something you do it; no matter how irresponsible, illegal and immoral it is. Got that?"

Jace blinked nervously but nodded. "Yeah...I guess but-"

"You were hired against my will, henceforth giving favouritism to the wombat, the nice ass and the ghetto-man. You're at the bottom of the list and until I find out more about you, you take orders from me and the other members of my team. Kapeesh?"

"Is that really fair?"

"Fair? Nope. Is it my way of ruling things? Exactly, so any questions? Or are you going to confide in my wishes and give me a lap dance?"

"I...I think I'd better sit down. Over here will be nice..." She murmured, quietly taking a seat beside Chase who had established that the new Cardiologist had already been shaken by Houses' odd demeanour of working things. In fact, he scared everyone on the first day, so Jace wasn't really an odd case. If you weren't scared after your first impressions of House, you were most likely clinically insane. That was how Chase looked at it anyway.

"So...I'm guessing by the writing on the whiteboard we have a case? And I'm just taking a shot in the dark here, but judging by the big bold words that make up 'HEART ATTACK', those are the symptoms. Got the patient's file?"

Although Jace assumed that House was going to admire her somewhat for taking initiative in speaking up, it was entirely the opposite, as her feminine and soft voice seemed to agitate him. "Excuse me? Did I say you could speak? Three doctors and the boss are talking about the patient. Why don't you just sit back and...I don't know, do a crossword."

"Don't you think you're being a little harsh?" Cameron couldn't help it. He had seen House be pathetic before, but this crossed the line. If it were any other new employee, he would give them crap but not to the extent of excluding them out of important differentials. Especially when the main symptom was a heart attack and the newcomer's speciality was Cardiology. "She's a cardiologist. The patient had a _heart attack_. See the connection?"

"I see a connection, but what I also see is a way for Cuddy to keep an eye on me and send her little spy coming back with naughty and inappropriate things I did." House said, with permanent marker in 

hand as he turned around to face the new Cardiologist. He had to admit, she was rather...How to put it, attractive, and with beauty like that getting a job wouldn't seem that hard of a chore. He had even gone over her qualifications, and he had to admit he was impressed. But something didn't match up about her paper-work that was also an enabling factor in getting her this job. It was almost as if her credentials appeared to be a little _too _perfect. He didn't entirely suspect forgery, although it was a possibility.

"I'm not a spy for Cuddy." Jace stated; rolling her eyes and snatching the blue folder off the desk as she roughly glanced over the file and incorporated all the text into her brain, recording it permanently to memory. "Female, 18 years old...No history of heart disease and both parents are alive and well, including grandparents. Netball player that suddenly felt numbness in her left arm followed by hypertension and tachycardia which then fell into cardiac arrest for...Three minutes. No evidence of brain damage due to lack of oxygenation however hypertension and tachycardia began _before _she got onto the court."

"You're a spy. And we already know the file; you don't have to repeat it." House remarked, gesturing to the other two symptoms of 'hypertension' and 'tachycardia' written on the whiteboard underneath 'HEART ATTACK' aka 'Cardiac arrest'.

"_**Not**_a spy and the culprit could be a blood clot. But what caused it...We'll have to find out." Jace added, placing down the file on the table. The more she spoke to House, the more relaxed and humorous things got. He couldn't fire her, and she found it interesting that House hadn't looked 'through' her. At least, not yet...

"Auto-Immune disease could explain it. Body's immune system goes haywire and throws the clot. Might be a good idea to test the blood for antibodies." Cameron suggested. "Or an infection that got to her heart. Could be a good place to start there."

House paused, and although an odd suggestion it was a suggestion none-the-less. "Possible. After this you can draw some blood, test it for infections and run some lab cultures."

"Come on, 18 years old...Clean slate, but she could be hiding something. Could be drugs; after all...Everyone lies." Chase knew he was sucking up with that comment, but it worked.

"Nice to know you used my saying to wipe my ass, but..." House paused, and proceeded to scribble it down on the board. "Run a TOX-Screen. Could have taken something for anxiety before the game and it messed around with her body...Any more suggestions people?"

"I suggest we do an echo-cardiogram of the heart to check for any abnormalities in the heart walls or valves. How's the heart rate now?"

"Rate's normal." Foreman said. "But that's not to say it won't happen again."

"Echo-Cardiogram, along with a cardioscopy procedure to ensure the internal functions of the heart are in working order. I also recommend a biopsy, to aid in Dr.Cameron's theory. If there's an infection in her heart, it's in there."

_Not bad...For somebody that Cuddy probably hired from ''_

Normally House was the one handing out procedures, but to his dismay she had suggested everything that he was going to. "First off, I hand out of the jobs, 'Charlie's hooker'..." House snapped. "Secondly, fine."

"Fine?"

"Did I ask for you to repeat me? No. Cameron, go do what I told you to do. Foreman, go do the echocardiogram on our patient." He said gruffly. "Chase, get a cardioscopy and arrange for a biopsy to be done. Also, Cameron?" He stopped the Immunologist at the door, who skidded to a halt and turned around.

"TOX-Screen."

"Fine..." She muttered, turning on her heel and heading out the doors, leaving a swishing sound as they slowly closed themselves.

Chase was next to follow, and he was pursued by Foreman who both pushed through the doors and headed out of the Conference Room and down into the corridor – all heading towards Jessica Doors, the catty 18 year old that thought of herself as too good for a hospital.

And that left but one unused doctor left in the room, waiting in her chair as she tapped her fingers pointlessly on the table. "And me?"

"You..." House mused, throwing his marker to the side and clutching his cane as he limped furiously towards his office. "My office; now."

_Crap, did he suspect something already?  
Am I really that transparent?_

_Perhaps I should have hitched a job at the Sacred Heart Hospital...At least the doctors there are a little more...Oooh, how do I put it. Sane._

Jace watched as the diagnostician found his seat and placed his cane to the side, while he rubbed his hands together and gestured to the chair opposing the other side of his desk. "Sit."

"Now?"

"No, next Christmas... Of course _now_." No time like the present, right?

"If this is about 'Cuddy', I'm _not_ a spy. Honestly, she chose me because she was impressed with my credentials and felt that I'd be a positive addition to the hospital in your department."

"I know, she told me." Did he always have to be this vague with his answers? "But that still beckons the obvious intention. She wants somebody to keep an eye on me..." He looked her up and down, psycho-analysing her, and trying to figure out what his new addition to the team was really all about. She appeared generally normal...But there _was _something odd about her. He saw it from the moment he laid eyes upon her for first impressions yet it was safe to say there was a certain 'glow' about her.

"Listen, you can think all you want but **honestly**, I am NOT a spy for Cuddy. I'm just here to do my job, and go home at the end of the day and feel proud about it. Is that what this little 'meeting' is about? Or would you like to know my credit card details while we're at it?"

"That'd be good; Wilson didn't give me lunch money today."

"Right..."

"But 'Jace Harridan', something doesn't add up about you."

_Shit, shit...Double shit._

"I went over your credentials and qualifications. Graduated at the top of your class, left with Honours at Med School and over-the-top references saying how good a doctor you were...Explain."

"Here's a thought, I _studied _none stop?"

House narrowed his eyes, and flipped through a file that appeared to be Jaces' resume and application for employment. "You didn't just study. You're bright. A little 'too' smart, which brings up the question, why Princeton? I know of a dozen hospitals that would take up a doctor like you in a heartbeat, so why here?"

"It's close, and I've lived in Princeton for a while so-"

"No you haven't. People like you who spend every hour of every waking day studying generally try and get out of the area they've been in for a while, and absorb new surroundings with a different change of scenery to accommodate their new jobs; and people with your credentials certainly just don't take any hospital that's down the street which leads me to understand that you've recently moved, and this just happens to be a half-decent hospital in the area that can accommodate your fast-moving needs."

_Shit, he WAS good.  
Stuff being a doctor, this guy could be the next John Edwards. He'd make cold-reading look as easy as play-dough and putty._

"You can't prove that."

"I checked out the address that you gave us. You'd think somebody with your knowledge would at least pick a vacant residence so nobody would answer the door if I knocked. And judging by your pale skin, I doubt you're related to the family of African-American descent that answered the door." A satisfied smirk appeared on his face, feeling accomplished as to how good this conversation was going.  


"Whoa, who gave you the right to do _that_?!" Jace blinked, feeling a little torn from his invasion of hers...Or somebody else's privacy.

"As I said before, I have my own rules and methods of doing things. And if you're working for me then I like to know a bit about my doctors. You never know, I could be hiring the next Osama Bin Laden. So would you care to tell me as to why you faked your address?"

"Perhaps I knew jerks like you would come stalking my real house?"

"Or maybe you don't have a proper one to begin with?" The man alleged.

"Ok, now THAT is stupid." Jace shot back. "Honestly, I'm qualified. I'm a doctor, I have a home and I have a life! If you're trying to make a point or stab a question at me, _fine_, but don't freaking research every ounce of my file and stalk my house!"

"Wasn't even yours." House added, feeling the need to do so.

"Not the point!"

"So why'd you move to this area?"

"None of your business; and to be honest, I like Princeton. Now, can I leave?"

"Sure..." The Diagnostician fumbled around a pen in his hand, and pointed to the door. "Oh, one more thing, I can guarantee that whatever you're hiding, I'll find out."

_Yeah, and then you can check yourself into the Psych ward for a psych check, because if you find out my secret...Sanity won't exist for you anymore._

"Doubt it." Jace rolled her eyes and got up from the chair. "Make a bet?"

"I'm listening..."

"If you can't find 'anything' by the end of the week, you give me two hundred dollars and you stop digging in to my personal life. Got that?"

House fumbled around with the writing implement, but chucked it to the side and gave a sly frown. "And if I find something?"

"Depends on what that something is...But considering the fact that there's nothing, whatever you find should be 'pretty spectacular', so sure. You find 'whatever' and I'll 'tell all', not that there's anything to tell. And I'll fork over two hundred greens. That right with you?"

"Sure. Now get out and go help Chase with the echo-cardiogram."

"Should be easy money...Jerk." She said with a playful smirk and strutted casually out of the office.

_Holy mother of sweet fucking shit.  
What the fuck did I just do?_

_Nah, calm down Jace, it's easy money._

_He might have been able to figure out something from a file, but getting through my tough exterior?_

_Doubt it.  
_

_But still.  
_

_SHIT._

**Authors note: Thought I'd finally get off my arse and continue this xD. Hope you like it! Just a side-project but I'm happy with it! Please read and review!! Thankyou!**


	3. So where DO you live?

"I saw your new cardiologist. _Not _bad..." Wilson chuckled, leaning back in the comforts of his chair prescribed only to his office. House of course, had invited himself in via the 'back' entrance much to the unwillingness of James, who was hoping his lunch time, would be rewarded with a blissful solace of isolation. "I heard Cuddy hired her."

"You heard correctly...And no, she's not going to become Wilson W\wife number four." House made a childish face and leant over the desk with his fork as he stabbed it at a stray piece of chicken, hiding within the salad that his colleague had prepared.

"You know...Lunch might be easier if you decided to bring your own."

"I would, but mommy forgot to give me lunch money and daddy just brought his own lunch instead." House smirked. "Besides, you're always the one saying that sharing is caring...Or, some other tagline you pulled off a Cancer Kid's fortune cookie, so either way I'm obligated to respect your wishes." Ha, the amount of joy he got from using Wilson's own notions against him was priceless, but House was the only one who saw things that way.

"That's great..." Wilson sighed, watching House swallow 1/15th of his salad. "So, she _is _good looking, amazing credentials...Where'd Cuddy find her?"

"In the naughty section of Craigslist..." The diagnostician muttered, reaching over and spiking another strip of crumbed chicken. "How am I supposed to know?"

"Well you could start by _as_king Cuddy...Don't get me wrong, could be a long shot but I just feel that it'd be a good place to start."

"Wilson, Wilson...Wilson." House polished off his fork after savouring the spices coating the tiny piece of cooked poultry. "I thought you knew me! It's much better to diagnose rather than to go crawling back to the giant ass with its own orbit. Your method on the other hand, involves you calling up Cuddy and friends on speed dial."

"So? At least I get answers-"

"The boring way...And who the hell wants that? Your marriages didn't fail because you weren't there enough, they failed because you probably went up to them and said something along the lines of 'hey, I know I'm not around enough but if you want to divorce me, that'd be swell'!" His mocking of Wilson was gradually getting better, with his voice hitting a higher decibel every time he attempted to make a cheap imitation of the oncologist who was _supposed _to be his friend.

"Enough..." Wilson scolded him. "So, the new cardiologist, what's she like?"

"Sexy, E-Cup, flaunts that ass like there's no tomorrow...And I think she cries when cancer kids hug her."

"House!"

"Alright, 'too good to be true' credentials, good doctor but something's not right about her. So, we made a bet." He shrugged, leaning back in his chair after savouring another bite of that orgasmic salad. Ok, orgasmic may have been too strong a word but it was defiantly _that _delicious.

"Not right? She's perfect for your team!" Wilson scoffed. "And what kind of bet did you make this time?!"

"I find out what she's hiding by the end of the week, and she'll tell me all and fork over two hundred. I don't, and I drop it and move onto something more interesting...Like how many satellites can orbit Cuddy's bountiful ass cheeks in one rotation."

"And I'm guessing you'll pay her two hundred dollars."

"For sex?"

Wilson frowned and rolled his eyes. "_The bet."_

"Oh yeah, we were talking about that weren't we? Sorry, can't help it, it's in my gender."

"And you don't think I want that?"

"Well if your failed marriages give any indication, it's that you're so far in the closet you're finding Christmas presents...Got any macadamia nut pancakes?"

"I'm **not** gay!" There was a REASON he had gone through three marriages. He liked women! 'Nuff said. "And no, I left them at home. I figured you'd be going through my lunch today so I safeguarded it in a safe with TNT attached in fear of getting a 'mysterious doctor specializing in nephrology' breaking into my house."

"Touché." Chucking his fork to the side and allowing a metallic clatter to sound off through the office, he pushed his butt out of his chair and stood up. "Sorry, have to go and tend to my stripper. I hear it's not good if you keep them tied up in the morgue for too long. And Wilson?"

"What."

"Salad was good." And with that, he hid a bemused smirk as he opened the door and made his way out into the corridor, ready to embark on his search for the truth of the case, and for the truth behind that Cardiologist he was so intrigued about. Not only was she hot, but setting her good looks and clear intellect to the side she was perfect. And there was no such thing as perfection, at least not up to the standards of those Macadamia nut pancakes that he had placed on a symbolic pedestal to regard in high esteem. She was nice, sarcastic, good looking, smart...Similar to Cameron except Cameron didn't fake her address or lie about the reasons as to why she took the job in the first place. And according to House, everybody lied; but his notion behind that theory was that there was always a reason behind the lie.

So far he had listed the possible causes in his head. Drug dealer seemed a little to drab, especially for a doctor. Perhaps she was a felon? Although that still seemed incredibly too farfetched to add up for her... Family dramas or relationship woes could explain her sudden secrecy, but House assured himself that whatever the reason may be for the underlying cause of her dishonesty, he **would **find it, and he would most certainly solve this current case, and hers.

As he limped down the corridor, a familiar face caught his eye, and before he time to turn around and make haste (very slow haste), the woman caught him by the arm and shook her head. "Nuh-uh, 

not today!" She smiled, a conniving look twinkling in her eye.  
"You owe me eight clinic hours this week and-"

"And did your bulging ass finally get its own postcode? Looks like it's got three..."

"Right, another ass joke; but how about we move onto something a little more important? Like the clinic hours you owe me."

"Or how about we move onto something 'amazingly' important...That being the fact that I _don't _need another doctor working for me!" He whined. "One's lonely, two's a crowd, three's company and four is an awkward foursome that you probably wouldn't authorize in this hospital."

"She's one of the best, and she was too good for this hospital to pass up, and-"

"She's 'great'. Yeah, I heard that crap from the back of a post card. I don't need another doctor and I don't need a set of your eyes watching me."

"You'll probably be surprised to know that I put that offer towards her, but she denied it. Clinic hours; now."

Interesting...The spy wasn't really a spy, but just a doctor Cuddy had merely hired out of good intentions. So that beckoned the question, 'who the fuck was this woman'?

"Now if you don't mind, I have work to do, which is something you should do. Go do what you're meant to do! Now!" She urged him, flailing her hands at him and walking away with the rhythmic tapping of her heels, while House watched her and her proud behind flaunt it as they made their way down the corridor, and turned down a corner and out of sight. He had to admit, that woman knew how to do her job, and do it well, even though he'd never admit that in public or in front of anyone that within a ten mile radius.

"House!"

There it came, a sudden voice from behind that caused him to spin around and give a displeased look. "TOX-Screen came back negative. No drugs or any unusual substances in her bloodstream." Chase said, and the three other doctors arrived behind him shortly after.

"Echocardiogram came back clean...And we've got her set up for a Cardioscopy in two hours." Cameron sighed. "We'd get it done sooner but-"

"Not sooner. NOW, we need test results, not test-waiting-results."

"We tried, but that was the closest time we got even after Chase tried flirting with the nurse as a ploy. Hospital is jam-packed today, so that'll have to do." Foreman loved it when he told House no, even though he was expecting a racist joke to be flung back at his direction.

"Well, tell Chase to get a new hairstyle because if the nurse won't fall for it, then nobody will. Chase, you're on my naughty list." House pointed to the blonde doctor who shrugged but nodded and sighed in contempt. By now, he was used to this torture.

"And you?"

"Helped in the echocardiogram, found nothing...So now we wait for the results...So any more snide remarks? Or would you like us to do your laundry while you're at it?"

"My sock drawer is pretty bad...But don't let the size fool you. I'm not that big, but I am _that _good." He winked.

"Alright...I'll head back to the labs...Perhaps there's something I've missed." Foreman shrugged, heading off in the other direction leaving three doctors behind. "I'll go see if I can get that cardioscopy in any earlier, but the time we got given is probably going to be our best bet." And with that, Chase was off down the corridor.

"And...I'll help." Cameron pointed to Chase, and quickly toddled off in her heels as she pursued Chase.

"And I'll help them helping." Jace felt rather 'on the block', standing along in front of the malicious maverick who glanced at her with a keen eye, doing his whole 'cold-reading' thing no doubt. "Oh I'm sorry, did you want to know what cup-size I am? Because _clearly _these can't be real right?" She humorously gestured to her breasts, hidden underneath her blouse, jacket and lab-coat over that.

House couldn't help but break a smirk. He rather liked this young woman, and saw a side of her that reflected his own personality...But that didn't change the way he felt about her. Ergo: He knew she was hiding something and he wouldn't let it go without a metaphorical fight. He craved answers; and he wanted them badly. If he lost the bet, he'd no doubt continue to research into her life (or lack thereof), but he'd have to be a little more subtle about it. "To assume implants, you'd have to have some evidence of boobs for that."

"Oi!" She snapped. He was right, she was a little in the chest, despite being a good B. "So...I'll be going. You can...I don't know, do what you do best. Be an ass." As Jace went to turn around to head in the opposite direction, she felt a masculine hand wrap around her arm, covered by the soft material of the doctor's coat. Sure enough, it was her cybernetic arm, but the odds of him feeling any evidence of implants through the skin was a little far off, so she had nothing to worry about.

"And you grabbed my arm because?"

House paused for a moment, and looked her square in the eyes. "You don't come from here, and judging by your lack of 'socialite' behaviour I'm guessing the number on your face book friends are minimal to none. Where do you live?"

"Downtown."

"Mind telling me where?"

"Mind staying out of my life?"

"Why so secretive?"

"Oh I don't know..." Jace sighed. "Perhaps it's to stop freaks like you from stalking me back home."

"A freak with a cane...Even sexier, wouldn't you agree?" House maliciously smirked and tapped his cane on the ground. "I _will _find out what you're hiding you know. Out of all the people Cuddy assigned you to, you picked the wrong department to keep secrets from."

"You won't find out, because I'm not hiding anything! Now, can you please let go of my arm so I can go and do my job?"

"Fine." He muttered, digging his hand in deeper for a second but releasing it. He did however, feel 'something' through the fabric and the skin. Although he couldn't establish an estimated temperature, the muscle in her arm seemed very...Dense. Not body-builder dense, but it was just 'there'. And he could have sworn he felt a tubular object beneath the skin, excluding the obvious arteries and veins as what he felt was harder than it should be.

"One thing though..." House added, stopped her before she made it out of his sight.

"And what's that?"

"Need a sample of your blood."

"Uhhh...Job requirement didn't require that, and I attend routine physicals with my GP, so the answer's no House." And with that, she walked as fast as she could down the corridor and around the corner, away from his sight.

Meanwhile, House stood there tapping the rubber end of his cane at the ground and let a feeble smirk force its way onto his face. Perfect...She denied giving a blood sample, so that could be indicative of two things. One, she was just using her right of privacy to keep House out of her business, OR she was hiding something. Specifically a medical condition that she didn't want him to find out about...

_So, scavenger hunt time! _

_I need a blood sample, a DNA sample...And what time does work get off?  
Stalking time..._

**Authors note: Hope you enjoyed that little chapter! Hehe, I love House and Wilson interactions :D!! And oh dear for Jace, House is too snoopy for his good!**


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